Itt-Ott, 1994 (27. évfolyam, 1. (123.) szám)

1994 / 1. (123.) szám

second-generation Hungarians, which is a notable fact because it underlines the importance and the need for these churches as religious and cultural institutions. The middle-aged and older people expressed their gratitude to be able to come to a “Hungarian church in a foreign land.” Many people contended that “This is the place where we really feel at home. We are among friends, and we feel that we belong.” Several among the retired members work as volunteers, cook and set up lunches and dinners, and are generally helpful in all aspects of the upkeep of the churches. Thus, first- and second-generation Hungarians feel that the church helps them to “remain Hungarian” spiritually, socially, and culturally.

Among the recently arrived immigrants are several young persons, some in their twenties. Many people in this group revealed that religion per se does not interest them. Most of them seldom attend the services, except perhaps on important holy days, such as Christmas and Easter. However, they noted that through the social participation at the church, they feel “at home, find friendship, help and fellowship with other Hungarians.”

In order to understand the importance of these churches in the life the Hungarian immigrants, it is necessary to examine the early history and the role and function of these two religious institutions, and if any changes in these may have occurred between 1977 and 1991.

Historical accounts reveal that a few Hungarians settled in America already in the late 18th century. Some were missionaries, others army officers and travelers.1 In later years more Hungarians immigrated to the United States, and statistics show that between 1861 and 1920, approximately, their numbers soared to 1,998,199.2 Through later decades to the present, the number of immigrants is on a constant rise. Calvinists among the immigrants in 1910 made up about 28- 30%.3 According to the Rev. Csordás, at present the figure is approximately 35-40%.

1- Leslie Könnyű, Hungarians in the United States (St.Louis: The American Hungarian Review, 1967), 8.

2- Ibid., 22.

3- Puskás Juliánná, Kivándorló magyarok az Egyesült Államokban [Emigrant Hungarians in the United States] (Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982), 252.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, most Hungarian Calvinist immigrants were farm laborers or skilled craftsmen, and only a few were intellectuals.4 Traditionally, these people were deeply religious, and they felt a great need for a congregation. Unfortunately, the early congregations soon after their formations became social centers where people helped each other in getting employment, living quarters, and other necessities. As a result, religion became secondary in importance ,5

By the mid-19th century the number of Calvinists had grown in America, and in 1852, when Kossuth visited this country, his military chaplain, Gedeon Acs, saw the need to bring the Hungarian Reformed people together not only socially, but also spiritually.

Thus, in New York City, the first Hungarian Reformed worship service was conducted in 1852 by Gedeon Acs in the Fulton Street Dutch Reformed Church. Later, in 1895, the first official Hungarian Evangelical Reformed Congregation was formed on 4th Street, under the leadership of the Rev. Bertalan Demeter. The new congregation suffered several difficulties during the following years, and by 1900 the leaders had no choice but to seek help. In dire need of financial support, they accepted the offer of affiliation with the American Reformed Church, one of the founding groups of the United Church of Christ.6 This affiliation still continues today.

The congregation’s struggle for survival did not cease in subsequent years, yet in spite of internal and financial problems, a new church was built on 69th Street and was consecrated in 1916.7 This church is in the same location to this day and still serves a Hungarian congregation.

The other church with which this paper is concerned is the Hungarian Reformed Church located on 82nd Street. This church is the result of the unification of two earlier churches. One was established in 1923 in downtown New York on 11th Street, the other in 1938 in the Bronx. Among the organizers in the earlier church were Sándor Daróczy, Sándor Márton, and Zsigmond Ladányi.

4- Ibid., 77.

5- Ibid., 272.

6- Gombos Gyula, Szűk esztendők [Lean Years] (Washington: Occidental Press, 1960), 50.

7- Gyula Nagy et. al., 80th Anniversary of the First Magyar Rerofmed Church (New York, 1975).

36 ITT-OTT 27. évf. (1994), 1. (123.) szám